Water & Sanitation

A Green Sponge in the City – Nature-Based Solutions Benefitting Urban Planning

By |2020-03-17T09:26:55+01:00March 17th 2020|

With cities continuously more threatened by climate change induced disasters, urban planning's reflex response is to protect cities against nature. But what if the solution lies in working with nature instead against it? Architect Kongjiang Yu invites our readers to imagine what cities could look like if they took into account ancient wisdom on spatial planning.

Urban Settings Need New Approaches

By |2021-02-23T14:48:17+01:00December 12th 2019|

The traditional relief-rehabilitation-development paradigm does not hold true in urban conflict zones. A combined approach of long-term support for systems reinforcing short-term support for individuals would meet people’s needs, secure development gains, and represent value for money. The cost of failing to adapt is simply too high, argues Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

How to Make Sure Mexico’s Cities Don’t Run Out of Water

By |2021-04-08T15:13:04+02:00September 3rd 2019|

Water is a central issue for urban development in Mexico. Groundwater is overexploited, and there is a lack of wastewater treatment facilities. Jorge Silva reviews government programmes that aim to solve the problem.

How Can Urban Flood Management in Vietnam Become More Sustainable?

By |2021-11-04T12:13:16+01:00May 28th 2019|

More than one third of Vietnam's population is living in cities, requiring effective sanitation and stormwater services. Yet their provision is limited, with an estimation of less than 10 per cent of wastewater being treated in urban areas. Sebastian Malter argues that a diversification of drainage systems will support sustainable urban development.

The Forgotten Water – The Role of Decentralised Wastewater Management in Jakarta’s Socio-Ecological System

By |2019-04-02T11:49:29+02:00April 2nd 2019|

Jakarta has responded to regular flooding by proposing gigantic infrastructure projects such as sea walls to keep the water at bay. But the main problem is that the city does not consider the land-water ecosystem as a whole, says Prathiwi W. Putri.

Using Forests for Water Treatment: An Example from Rio de Janeiro

By |2019-03-21T10:01:21+01:00March 21st 2019|

Ecosystem loss and degradation contributes to water insecurity worldwide – natural infrastructure strategies that protect and restore natural systems aim to halt and reverse this trend. Suzanne Ozment and Rafael Feltran-Barbieri discuss how water utilities can profit from restoring ecosystems.

What Hides Behind the Concept of Digital Water?

By |2019-03-19T11:18:50+01:00March 19th 2019|

How can digitalisation of urban services increase sustainable urbanisation? What different approaches and innovations already exist and have proven successful? Kala Vairavamoorthy, director of the International Water Association addresses these questions.

A Place Like Too Many Others: Gender Inequality in Bawana, Delhi

By |2020-06-22T12:24:34+02:00March 8th 2019|

In urban settlements around the world, city administrations struggle, and often fail, to provide essential services, safe spaces, and socio-economic securities to residents. While this poses difficulties and dangers to all inhabitants, the consequences of such neglect are especially severe for low-income women and girls.

The Lagos Water Crisis: Any Role for the Private Sector?

By |2021-08-18T12:43:37+02:00August 28th 2018|

Lagos is suffering from severe water shortage due to profit-oriented politics. Akinbode Oluwafemi points out the conflicts and problems around the privatisation of the water sector and offers alternative solutions for one of the world’s most populous cities.

Mitigation Through Innovation: Sustainable Water Supply in Windhoek

By |2021-02-22T13:42:15+01:00March 22nd 2018|

Windhoek—the capital city of Namibia, the most arid country in Sub-Saharan Africa—has long met its severe water challenges through innovation. But its growing population is increasing its demand for water while climate change exacerbates scarce supplies. On the occation of World Water Day 2018, Pierre van Rensburg highlights the city's innovative augmentation strategies to keep the crisis from becoming a catastrophe.

Managing Water in Secondary Cities: Interview with Mathew Kurian

By |2018-03-20T11:12:56+01:00March 16th 2018|

As World Water Day approaches, URBANET interviewed Mathew Kurian of UN University about managing water supplies in secondary cities. Although often overshadowed by megacities, secondary cities face slightly different—but just as significant—water challenges as their larger neighbours. Kurian argues that secondary cities could be important laboratories for innovative financing mechanisms, but that we must first disrupt the entrenched dis-incentives that promote business as usual.

Antananarivo, Madagascar: Partnership for water access transformation

By |2020-06-22T12:41:30+02:00December 14th 2017|

In order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals related to water, sanitation and hygiene, the government of Madagascar has drawn up an action plan and commissioned JIRAMA, the country’s state-owned electricity and water provider, to improve access to safe water supply.

Upscaling Sanitation for the Urban Poor in Kenya

By |2021-02-23T13:32:09+01:00August 29th 2017|

Providing access to urban sanitation is challenging because of space limitations, complex land tenure and higher public health concerns in crowded settlements. This is especially true for low-income urban areas. For URBANET, Jane Njagi describes how this challenge has been tackled in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya.

Investing in Asia’s Urban Future

By |2018-08-02T12:12:26+02:00January 23rd 2017|

Asia is one of the regions of the world that is experiencing extremely rapid urbanisation. The Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) has recently launched a photobook in which case studies of four cities in Asia illustrate innovative ways to tackle issues in key sectors such as flood and drainage management, water supply, transport and waste management.

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